Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to Northern New Mexico College.
Española grades D overall, ranked 59th of 72 in New Mexico, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $48K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 78% of New Mexico towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: a typical home costs about $343K, 6 years of the Española area’s $57K median household income. Española is home to Northern New Mexico College. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Española has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Frank Bond House.
Where Española beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Northern New Mexico College | 860 |
La Iglesia de Santa Cruz and Site of the Plaza of Santa Cruz de la CanadaEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Española is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 398 in 1890, a low of 398 in 1890, 10,526 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Española, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Española.
Española is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New Mexico and has commutes longer than most of New Mexico.
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Española since 1981.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Espanola school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos F. Vigil MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 379 | – |
| McCurdy Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 557 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
In the comparison, Española comes against 4% in New Mexico’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 6.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Española | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valdez Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 4,903 U.S. towns with household incomes like Española’s, it is healthier than 70%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Española beats the New Mexico average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 23% of Española adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance, above both the New Mexico town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (8.1%). 68% of Española adults had a checkup this year.
| Española | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 69% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 19% |
| What stands out | Española | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 7.4% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 22.9% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Española has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Española is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,052 working residents takes 30.8 minutes, against 23.5 across New Mexico.
Most working residents leave Española for work: only 18% work in town. Española’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Española fell to 4,097 in 2023, 542 fewer than in 2013.
| Española | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 8.4% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Española's reported crime rate is well below New Mexico's. Only 3 of the 32 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Española. 41 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Española | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 16.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 6 years of the Española area’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $343K) costs more against local pay than in 86% of New Mexico towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
Typical home values rose 6% in the year to September 2026. 65% of households own their home in Española.
| Española | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $829 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Española. Close and well known come first.
12 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
19 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
23 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
16 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
23 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe Plaza
21 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft verticalBandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Valles Caldera National Preserve: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, Public domain · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0 · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Española
About 6 of every 100 Española residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
3 places in Española on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Española.
City in the United States
Española is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Founded as a railroad village, it was named Española, with a post office established in 1881, and officially incorporated in 1925. It has been called the first capital city in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 10,526. Española is within the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area. The city is home to Northern New Mexico College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Española.
| Town | NM rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Española | #59 | D | B | — | C− | C |
| Santa Cruz | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sombrillo | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cuartelez | — | — | A− | — | C− | B+ |
| Ohkay Owingeh | — | — | A+ | — | C− | D |
Cuartelez and Ohkay Owingeh have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Española, Cuartelez and Ohkay Owingeh report no FBI crime data of their own. Santa Cruz and Sombrillo aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Española with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Española grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #59 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades C for health and C− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
11 notable people were born here, including Scott Tipton and Patricia D. Lopez.
